Chapter 5: The Family Business
By the time I left Daniel's office, the sun had disappeared behind the downtown buildings.
I sat in my car with the engine running, staring at the folder on the passenger seat.
The documents inside had changed everything.
My house wasn't just the place where Trevor and I lived.
It was collateral.
My savings weren't just money we'd accumulated together.
They had been quietly redirected into a business I knew almost nothing about.
And the people currently sleeping in my bedrooms had apparently been waiting for access to everything I had spent years building.
My phone buzzed again.
Trevor.
I watched it ring until it stopped.
Then it rang again.
I answered.
"What?""
His voice was careful.
"Where are you?""
"You already know.""
"No, I don't.""
"Then ask your mother.""
Silence.
Finally, he said, "Allison, you're making a huge mistake.""
I almost smiled.
"A mistake?""
"This is a family situation.""
"You forged my signature.""
"I didn't forge anything.""
"You submitted a document with my name on it.""
"I didn't personally sign it.""
The distinction was so absurd that I laughed.
"So someone else forged it for you?""
He didn't answer.
"Trevor.""
"What?""
"Who is Harper Family Holdings?""
"It's a family business.""
"What does it own?""
"Nothing you need to worry about.""
I closed my eyes.
"That's where you're wrong.""
"You don't understand how this works.""
"Then explain it.""
He stayed silent.
I could hear people talking in the background.
Then Evelyn's voice.
"Give me the phone.""
Trevor said something I couldn't hear.
A second later, Evelyn came on the line.
Her voice was remarkably calm.
"Allison.""
"What?""
"I think you're overreacting.""
"Did you forge my signature?""
"I would never do something like that.""
"Did you submit documents transferring our house?""
"It was going to protect the family.""
"Protect you.""
"Protect everyone.""
"With my money.""
She sighed.
"You've always been so focused on ownership.""
"It's my home.""
"It's Trevor's home.""
"Then why did you move my belongings into garbage bags?""
No response.
I continued.
"You took my bedroom.""
"People needed beds.""
"You took my office.""
"We needed space.""
"You used my accounts.""
"I never touched your personal accounts.""
That caught my attention.
"What did you say?""
"I said your personal accounts were never involved.""
I looked at the folder beside me.
The account transfers.
The investment withdrawals.
The property acquisition.
Something didn't fit.
"How much does Trevor owe the family business?""
Evelyn's voice sharpened.
"That's none of your concern.""
"It's absolutely my concern.""
"You're becoming hysterical.""
"No.""
I looked at the office building behind me.
"I'm becoming curious.""
She hung up.
I stared at the phone.
Then I called Daniel.
He answered immediately.
"Allison?""
"Can you pull the corporate filing for Harper Family Holdings?""
"Why?""
"Because I think we're missing something.""
There was a pause.
"I can check.""
"Please do.""
Twenty minutes later, an email appeared.
I opened the attachment.
The first page listed the company members.
Evelyn Harper.
Trevor Harper.
Daniel Harper.
And several names I recognized from the crowd in my living room.
But one name stopped me.
A woman named Rebecca Lane.
Rebecca had been Trevor's assistant years ago.
At least, that's what he had told me.
I scrolled down.
She owned forty percent.
Forty percent.
My heart began pounding.
"Daniel," I said when he called.
"You saw it.""
"How does Trevor's assistant own forty percent of his family's company?""
"I don't know.""
"Can you find out?""
"We can investigate.""
"No.""
I stared at Rebecca's name.
"I can.""
I ended the call.
I knew where she worked.
I drove there.
Her office was in a small commercial building across town.
The receptionist looked surprised when I asked for Rebecca.
"She's still here.""
A few moments later, Rebecca stepped out.
The second she saw me, her expression changed.
Not surprise.
Fear.
She knew.
That realization hit me harder than anything else that day.
"You knew I was coming?""
She swallowed.
"No.""
"Then why do you look terrified?""
"Allison...""
"You own forty percent of Harper Family Holdings.""
Her face went pale.
"Who told you?""
"So it's true.""
She glanced toward the receptionist.
"Can we talk privately?""
We went into a conference room.
She closed the door.
I remained standing.
"Tell me everything.""
Rebecca sat slowly.
"Trevor didn't tell you?""
"No.""
She looked down.
"I thought you knew.""
"What?""
"The business.""
"What business?""
She looked at me for a long moment.
"The property company.""
I felt cold.
"How many properties?""
"Six.""
"Six?""
She nodded.
"Residential and commercial.""
"Who financed them?""
Rebecca didn't answer.
"Who?""
"Your husband.""
"My husband didn't have enough money for six properties.""
"Not personally.""
I stared at her.
"Then where did it come from?""
She looked away.
"Allison, you really didn't know.""
"Know what?""
"He told us you wanted to keep everything private.""
I felt something inside me fracture.
"Rebecca.""
She finally looked at me.
"He said you were difficult about money.""
My jaw clenched.
"He said you refused to help his family.""
She continued before I could respond.
"So he created the company.""
"With my money.""
Rebecca didn't deny it.
"At first, the transfers were small.""
I remembered them.
Five hundred dollars.
A thousand.
Two thousand.
Then tens of thousands.
"The plan was to buy property, renovate it, and refinance it.""
"And my house?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"That was supposed to be the final piece.""
My stomach turned.
"Why?""
"Because your house has enough equity to cover the company's outstanding debt.""
"How much debt?""
She looked me straight in the eye.
"Almost nine hundred thousand dollars.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Nine hundred thousand?""
She nodded.
"What happens if I don't give them the house?""
"They can't refinance.""
"And then?""
"They lose the properties.""
I sat down.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
The relatives.
The bedrooms.
The pressure.
The forged signature.
They weren't moving into my home because they needed somewhere to stay.
They needed to make me feel like I was already outnumbered.
They wanted me emotionally exhausted.
They wanted me to believe refusing them would make me selfish.
And they wanted the house transferred before I discovered the truth.
I looked at Rebecca.
"Why are you telling me this?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because I can't be part of it anymore.""
"Why?""
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small flash drive.
"I kept copies.""
I stared at it.
"What is that?""
"Emails.""
"Between who?""
"Trevor, Evelyn, and the people involved with the company.""
She placed it on the table.
"There are messages about the house.""
My heart pounded.
"How bad?""
Rebecca's voice dropped.
"Worse than you think.""
She pushed the drive toward me.
"They didn't just plan to transfer your house.""
I looked at her.
"What else did they plan?""
May you like
Rebecca whispered,
"They planned to make sure you couldn't stop them.""
